The Most Distinguished in the Mystic Yellow Ninja World

The next afternoon, Qingyu stood at the entrance to the back mountain of Naka Shrine, feeling deeply uneasy.

There was no helping it. This scene was all too familiar.

A mysterious invitation → going alone to a meeting → either triggering a hidden quest or getting silenced!

By RPG conventions, he should save his game first... Too bad reality didn't have a save-and-load trick!

Izuna and Tobirama: Why not look for the problem in yourself first?!

Qingyu: System! Was this your screwup?!

Qingyu: See? Even the system admitted it screwed up. Why are you two low scorers still making excuses for it?!

I'm just stating your dream!

He checked the equipment in his ninja pouch: 20 Kunai, 20 Shuriken, 10 Explosive Tags, 2 smoke bombs, and the emergency Communication Talisman Shisui had given him. Though he wasn't sure if it would work inside the Uchiha barrier.

"Are you done checking?" Izuna urged him in his head.

"Quit dawdling. If you're done, let's go! What kind of Uchiha acts like this? When my brother asked to talk, I just grabbed my sword and went!"

"Didn't you end up..." Qingyu muttered under his breath, but wisely didn't finish.

A blade in the rain, but no umbrella...

Flying Thunder God Slash!

"Being prepared is the right thing to do," Tobirama analyzed calmly. "Based on the handwriting and choice of words, the writer is older and cautious, and holds some status within the clan. Most likely, they're affiliated with one of the elders."

"Caution is appropriate, but you should be even more alert to whether their intentions run counter to stability within the clan."

Qingyu took a deep breath and started up the mountain path.

Few people ever visited the back mountain of Naka Shrine.

The branches of towering old trees almost completely blocked out the afternoon sun, casting only shifting, mottled shadows on the ground.

The air was heavy with the smell of damp earth and decaying leaves, adding to the oppressive atmosphere.

Qingyu followed the path uphill, silently counting his steps.

Tobirama had taught him to do this, so he could measure distances and plan an escape route.

After about ten minutes, a clearing came into view.

A figure stood in the clearing, their back to him.

The person wore the Uchiha's dark clan robes. Their hair was white, and they stood ramrod straight.

Even from behind, they gave off an air of "I'm serious, don't mess with me."

Qingyu paused.

The person slowly turned around.

Was that Yashiro Uchiha? No, they were older than Yashiro, and...

"Qingyu, you've come," the old man said, his voice hoarse but strong.

"I'm Setsuna Uchiha, one of the clan elders."

Setsuna Uchiha? The Radical Faction elder from the original story? Well, would you look at that—he'd gone straight to a boss-level NPC!

And the kind who could trigger a kill-on-sight side quest at any moment.

Qingyu hurriedly bowed. "Elder Setsuna."

Setsuna sized him up, a glint flashing in his slightly cloudy eyes. "Not bad. You're calmer than I expected. It seems the Clan Head and Shisui weren't wrong about you."

"Elder, what did you want to see me about?" Qingyu asked cautiously.

"I like getting straight to the point." Setsuna nodded. "I'll keep it brief... How much do you know about the Uchiha's current situation?"

Here it comes!

A question that could get him killed!

Was this a test of his political awareness?!

Uchiha and Konoha, rest assured. I'll make our village stronger!

Qingyu's mind raced, and he heard two voices in his head at the same time:

Izuna: "Just tell the truth! The Uchiha are in this mess because those Senju are ostracizing us!"

Tobirama: "You need a more rational analysis. I suggest considering several angles, such as the Police Force's duties, public opinion within the village, and resource allocation..."

"The Uchiha..." Qingyu chose his words carefully.

"Have an awkward position in Konoha. The Police Force's authority is restricted, the younger generation doesn't have many opportunities, and relations between clan members and the villagers aren't very friendly."

A satisfied glint appeared in Setsuna's eyes. "You've hit the mark. Where do you think the problem lies?"

Qingyu: "..." Elder, I'm only twelve! Is it really appropriate to ask me such a profound question?

"I think..." He steeled himself. "It might have something to do with the Uchiha's... pride?"

Setsuna raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Explain."

"Most Uchiha are exceptionally talented, and with the advantage of the Sharingan, it's easy for them to develop... a sense of superiority," Qingyu said carefully.

"That sense of superiority can cause friction when they're enforcing the law. Over time, it creates a divide."

Setsuna fell silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed. "Hahaha! You put it tactfully, but I get your meaning—the Uchiha's 'arrogance' makes people hate us, right?"

Qingyu gave an awkward laugh.

Elder, you're so blunt that you're scaring me!

The Uchiha were so unhinged that nobody could tell whether an Uchiha who seemed perfectly normal one moment would turn into a lunatic the next.

The Uchiha tradition was to distrust the world.

Madara Uchiha: "I'm going to reshape this world, y'know!"

"But have you ever wondered," Setsuna said, his smile disappearing as his tone turned cold, "why the Uchiha's 'arrogance' gets magnified? Why do other clans get away with the occasional display of arrogance, while the Uchiha are attacked by everyone the moment they show the slightest assertiveness?"

Qingyu's heart tightened.

Was the lecture about to start?

"Because someone wants the Uchiha isolated," Setsuna said, each word deliberate.

"Ever since the Second, Tobirama Senju, the Konoha High Command has deliberately pushed the Uchiha to the margins! The Police Force? It sounds like real power, but it's actually a hot potato!"

Man, he was badmouthing Tobirama right in front of Tobirama's soul!

Elder, you've got some nerve!

Qingyu reflexively rubbed his forehead, feeling Tobirama's soul stir in his mind.

Tobirama didn't say anything, but the invisible pressure made Qingyu's scalp prickle.

"The Second... must have had his reasons," Qingyu said weakly.

"Reasons? What reasons?" Setsuna sneered.

"They put the Uchiha in the spotlight and make every villager watch our every move. If we enforce the law strictly, they accuse us of abusing our authority. If we're lenient, they accuse us of favoritism! We're wrong either way!"

Qingyu fell silent.

That... kind of made sense?

Tobirama: What Uchiha? Put them straight in a dog cage!

"The Third is no different," Setsuna continued.

"He's polite to the Uchiha on the surface, but what about in practice? Our budget gets cut, missions are distributed unfairly, and we have to fight tooth and nail even for a spot in this joint event!"

Qingyu's thoughts stirred. "Elder, do you mean..."

"I mean that the Uchiha can't stay passive forever." Setsuna stared at Qingyu.

"I understand that the Clan Head wants to improve our situation through peaceful means, but some people... won't respond to that."

He stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Qingyu, I watched your match with Neji. You have potential and ideas, but you need to understand... in Konoha, being 'talented' isn't enough! You have to choose the right side."

Setsuna: The Uchiha have two factions! I'm carrying eighteen elders on my shoulders; matters concerning the clan and the village aren't up to Fugaku!

He was precocious as a child, but that didn't mean he'd amount to anything as an adult. I think that Fierce Eye Fugaku is about to live his life as a little kitty!

Choose a side?

Was he asking Qingyu to pick a faction?

So the Uchiha really did have internal political factions!

No way. He had to get out of here.

In his previous life, taking a stand against the God-Emperor in Warhammer had no consequences. But Konoha had its own circumstances!

He couldn't join either side or offer advice!

"I..." Qingyu hesitated. "I'm only a Genin. I don't think I should get involved in these matters..."

I'm not the right person to weigh in on this. Ask someone else. I just want to protect everyone by putting them behind me!

Or give me fourteen business days, and I'll try to get back to you.